Is Three a Crowd?
by Kalissa55
Summary: Tony and Yinsen weren't the only captives at the Ten Rings base.  What if there was a third person?  Mash up of comics and movies.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Tony was getting ready for what would no doubt be another nightmare riddled sleep after a hard day of working on the 'Jerico missle' for his captors. The miniaturized arc reactor newly installed and shining brightly in his chest, he was glad not to be lugging the car battery around. Yinsen warned him it was fortunate that the water torture hadn't shorted out the battery he previously had during the last 'meeting' he had with his captors.

The blue glow and gentle hum of the generator was lulling him to sleep when he heard the first screams.

Yinsen who was having a cup of tea nearly spilled the scalding liquid onto his hands while Tony sat up quickly, eyes wide and looking in Yinsen's direction for answers. Yinsen looked in the direction of the door with a strange look on his face, Tony followed suit looking a bit frightened wondering what was going on.

He had already been in the cave for a week, Yinsen a bit longer but the caves had always been quiet save for the usual shuffle of the guards feet.

The screaming went on seemingly forever until there was a yell from a man, cruel laughter from another and the screaming stopped abruptly. A chill ran up Tony's spine while he wondered if he would be the one screaming next.

Both men stared at the door not daring to look at each other to see the fear mirrored on their faces.

There was some scuffling outside their door and before either man could stand in their usual stance, hands behind their heads a bundle was literally thrown into the room in Tony's direction from some nameless guard while another held a gun on them. Tony jumped up quickly from his cot to catch it before it fell; quickly realizing it was a person.

The leader of the terrorist group came in pushing the guard aside. He spoke indicating that Yinsen should translate.

" The girl is a gift to you for all the work you've done so far. Although not pure, she is quite enjoyable and I strongly encourage you to partake in using her. Should you not want her I will take her back for she is feisty and I will enjoy taming her."

Yinsen felt sick translating the words of his captor. Tony was obviously going to decline the gift, already walking the bundle back toward the guards. Without thought Yinsen hastily spoke loudly in English first then in Arabic .

" He will accept your gracious gift. Many thanks for your thoughtfulness and generosity." He didn't miss the surprised look he was getting from all the eyes in the room especially Tony. Before any argument could be made their captors closed the door and shuffled away.

Livid, Tony turned to Yinsen ready to rip him a new one his arms still full with the thankfully unconscious body.

" What the hell are you doing? I may be a play boy but I hardly think this is the time or place for me to get my jollies with some prostitute!"

Yinsen turned to him glaring at Tony's casual use of the word prostitute. " She is not now, nor has she ever been a prostitute!"

Tony looked at Yinsen, surprised with the patient man's defense of the girl. He slowly lowered her to the floor, his arms feeling heavy. " Do you know this girl Yinsen?"

Yinsen sighed and came a bit closer to Tony hoping he was mistaken about her identity. His blood ran cold as his fear was confirmed. " I have had the pleasure of spending some time with her here prior to your arrival. She was captured not long before me and I was told to keep her alive if I myself wished to live. She is from North America I think, but she was taken before I learned much about her. I accepted her on your behalf only to keep her away from our captors. We will deal with any issues as they come."

Tony took another look at the girl, only now noticing she was wearing the tattered remains of clothes that could be from any mall back home. Not that he'd ever needed to go to a mall since Pepper took care of his shopping but he wasn't stupid.

He frowned at how the clothes were hanging off her frame, she obviously had not been eating as well as him during her capture.

Yinsen was slowly crawling over, obviously concerned for the health of the newest occupant in the drab cave as she bled on the dirt floor from numerous cuts and scratches. Both men hoped that was the extent of her injuries but whether they would admit it or not they knew there were most likely others and it was a small blessing that she had not regained consciousness.

After a quick look Yinsen indicated that she should be moved to the cot. He was old and crouching over the cot would be easier than crawling on the floor. The girl would also be more comfortable when she awoke.

Tony braced himself and stood up with the girl in his arms, trying to be gentle his features softening as he looked at the young face under all the cuts, scrapes and bruises.

His peace while looking at her was short lived however because just as he took his first step he saw stars as the now conscious girl in his arms punched him in the face! There was no doubt that he would have a black eye tomorrow.

She wiggled free from his grasp and fell to the floor in a heap before gathering herself and fleeing to crouch by the door staring warily at the two men, eyes a bit unfocused.

" Ow! What the hell was that? " Tony instinctively tried to bring his hand to the injured eye but Yinsen gently held it in place looking at Tony's hand and arm.

After getting over his shock Tony followed Yinsen's gaze down to his arm and paled at the amount of blood he saw. A quick mental check confirmed he wasn't injured so the blood was probably the girl's. He was no doctor but even he knew that was bad.

He stepped toward the girl swiftly and arrogantly without thinking. " Hey I'm no doctor but you shouldn't move around like that if you're hurt. Let me get you to the cot and Yinsen can check you out."

Before he could touch her, the girl lashed out and kicked him in the shin.

"Ow again! Do I look like a punching bag to you? OK, maybe I do since I've recently had the pleasure of spending some time with our gracious hosts but seriously, ow! "

" Tony, you do not look like a punching bag but she is no doubt frightened by her recent ordeal and you, like our captors are a man. "

Tony's shoulders dropped and he turned to Yinsen for guidance. Before more could be said between the two a third voice chimed in. It was shaky and hoarse from the earlier screaming but clear enough.

" Is that you Yinsen? " She squinted in the dim light of the cave, trying to see the men.

Yinsen turned to face the girl, tried to get a little closer to better assess her condition when she raised her arms in defense.

" Don't come closer! Please. Just stay where you are." Tears were now running down her face as she trembled in fear. " I know you won't hurt me like they did, it isn't rational but please, just stay back. Please!"

Her pleas pierced their hearts and Tony having never been in a situation such as this was trying to hide behind the arrogant playboy facade he used back home . He was failing miserabely, but damned if he wasn't going to try.

The girl took a couple of deep ragged breaths in an attempt to calm down. " I want to die. Just leave me here in the dirt, I don't deserve your help or your pity. Either of you. I'm just being kept here for my body but if either of you cares even a little you'll let me die."

Yinsen crouched where he stood and looked her in the eyes. " I know you are in pain, both physically and emotionally but if you die my life will be forfeit. Our captors have seen it fit to task me with keeping both you and Tony alive."

The girl knew Yinsen was an honourable man and he wouldn't come closer to her even near death without her consent. Looking into his eyes she saw the unsaid. He would forfeit his life if she really wanted to die. She took another ragged breath and spoke.

" I won't let you die because of me but..." She looked at Tony, wary and ill at ease, her voice trailing off..

"Tony will not harm you, he is a decent man and we are working together to forge an escape from here. Let me help you and we can talk more later. Can you walk to the cot over there?" Yinsen pointed to a ragged and stained cot a few feet away.

She looked at Tony, then the cot. Steeling herself she slowly stood, bracing her hand against the wall behind her. She took one step and collapsed in pain, her already pale face looking almost green. " I can't do it, I'm not strong enough...I'm sorry." More tears came down now, no longer silent but accompanied by heart wrenching sobs.

Tony stepped forward slowly, crouching a few feet from the girl. " I've got work to do and I need some rest. If you promise not to hit me I'll get you to the cot." She gave him a wary look.

"C'mon, the ladies back home tell me they love my arms, why don't you give 'em a go?"

Yinsen glared at Tony for his crass attitude but remained silent. For all his womanizing ways the man had no idea how to be around a woman.

Oddly the girl actually smirked at Tony and giggled. Maybe she was delirious but just like that the tension in the room broke and Tony easily picked her up and strode to the cot. "Please keep your arms and legs in the car at all times until the ride comes to a complete stop." She seemed to calm down in his arms, enjoying his warmth surprising both him and Yinsen with her reaction.

Tony deposited her on the cot gently not wanting to hurt her further. He was about to walk away when she spoke, this time without the tremor in her voice. " If that was a ride I want a refund." She was grinning despite her aches and seemed to enjoy the flirty banter.

Going with the flow Tony fell into a jovial rhythm. " Sorry no refunds, but I can make it up to you later." He winked at her grinning face noticing how her face was transformed by the small grin she bared and hunkered down near her head to keep her company while Yinsen did his thing.

They went on like this for a while, Tony holding her hand and providing warmth and support when things became painful for her. He learned that she was born and raised in the good ol' USA but had dual citizenship and currently resided in Canada. Yinsen had basic medical supplies, but no painkillers other than basic antihistamines and ibuprofen.

Once Yinsen was done she turned her grateful eyes to him trying not to let him see how much pain she was in. She was mended and that's what mattered now. Yinsen did the best he could under the circumstances.

She then turned to look at Tony and he felt a warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with the arc reactor there.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Tony and the girl awoke from their light slumber, leaving Yinsen to sleep a bit longer. The two of them had used the sleeping spaces throughout the night while Yinsen stayed up and kept watch.

Tony was serving up some sort of a slop looking thing into mugs for breakfast while gingerly prodding at his black eye. He was glancing worriedly at the girl who was still in the bed unable to move around too much due to the extent of her injuries.

"So... I think I've spent more time talking with you than any other woman I know besides Pepper and I don't even know your name." He spoke as he passed a mug to her.

She looked up from her cup, glad for the distraction from the muck inside and looked at Tony.

" Nice try, but don't think I didn't see you checking me out when you thought I wasn't looking." She winked and caught him off guard.

Then in a more subdued voice she answered his question. " My name's Mia. I think my mom was an Abba fan or something. I wonder if I'll ever see her again."

" You'll see her. I promise." He looked at her, a serious look in his eyes. Mia wasn't so confident but she nodded anyways and asked a question of her own. " Who's Pepper?"

" She's my PA and the only woman I put up with. She's smart, ballsy, good looking and I think she even cares about me."

" You have a PA at work? You must be pretty high up in the food chain."

" Huh? At work? Pepper goes everywhere with me, she has a setup at my place and even sleeps there sometimes. I'm glad she didn't come here with me though."

Mia pondered Tony's words and ate a spoon of the mushy stuff in her mug. She fought not to spit it out, swearing it was trying to crawl back up her throat. "Tony, what the heck is this stuff?"

" I don't know. I just mixed a bit of this and a bit of that. Yinsen's the better cook, but I'm pretty sure this stuff won't kill you. In fact I think not eating it might kill you. When was the last time you ate?"

Eating small spoon fulls of the muck she shrugged not really knowing how long it had been since she last ate. " I ate the last time I was here with Yinsen. Once they took me away I thought I could do with a diet. A girl's gotta keep her figure."

Tony rolled his eyes. " Oh yeah, you look fantastic, I can use a new coat rack."

" Your just jealous of my figure. Don't be slacking too much by the fire, lest your many muscles turn to flab."

" Did you just compliment me? "

Mia felt her face go red and hoped the cave was dim enough to hide it. " Puh-lease, watch the ego Tony, the cave is only so big."

Yinsen had woken and was slowly eating his own portion of the meal when Tony spoke up. " So what happened to you?"

Yinsen glared at Tony for the lack of tact but he too was curious even though he already suspected the worst having seen her injuries earlier.

Mia cast her eyes downward as she quietly spoke. " I wasn't strong enough, I couldn't keep them away. I'm trying not to think about it right now. I think you guys already have an idea of what happened...don't make me talk about it. "

The men shared a knowing look. Neither needing the details of her time in the caves but worrying about how she had been affected.

The looks they shared weren't lost on Mia and she fought down her tears. She knew they didn't care about her, why would they? She was just an inconvenience to them, a dirty, ugly thing they were now stuck with. She was so stupid to have thought they cared, stupid to have enjoyed the strong and gentle feeling of Tony's arms as he carried her. "Don't worry about me, I'll stay quiet and out of your way. You won't have to put up with me, you've both done enough."

The men looked at her confused, not knowing why she was saying such a thing.

Tony not being one to hesitate spoke quickly in a hasty attempt to comfort Mia. " Hey your fine and you aren't in the way. We heard you out there earlier..." Mia winced at the reminder but Tony kept going. "...sounded like you hurt some of them. If I was keeping score I'd say your ahead of the game."

Getting up and putting away their mugs Tony was heading toward the forge to set up for more work. Mia thought about what he said.

" What is it that you two are doing in here anyways?" Mia craned her neck from her position on the cot. "I know Yinsen is a doctor but what about you Tony?"

Tony looked over at her, surprise all over his face. " Don't you know who I am?"

Mia looked at him, squinting trying to place is face. " I may not have my glasses with me but no, I have no idea who you are? Should I? Are you an actor or something? What would the terrorist group want with an actor?"

Tony looked at her, his mouth gaping like a fish, no sound coming out. Yinsen, not hiding his amusement answered for him. " He is Tony Stark of Stark Enterprises. They are the worlds largest weapons supplier and he is the most eligible bachelor. I must admit I'm surprised you didn't recognise him."

" Arent' the weapons these guys have from Stark Enterprises? " The gears were turning in her head.

Tony averted his gaze not wanting to answer her.

" That's why they kidnapped you! They want you to make weapons! Aren't you just the CEO or something? You can't actually make stuff can you? That's what grunts are for. "

" Tony is something of a genius, he built his first circuit board when he was just a child." Yinsen got up to help Tony get ready to work.

" Huh. So here I am, community college gal in a cave with a doctor and a genius. It's like a bad joke. A genius, a doctor and a college grad walked into a bar..."

She trailed off, wincing in pain when she tried to get up.

Tony was immediately by her side. " Hey, don't pop any stitches. My hand's still sore from your crushing grip, if you need to be stitched up again you'll probably break a finger or something."

Gasping through the pain Mia gave him a look. " Really? Maybe your just a sissy. Let's see you get all stitched up without drugs. Besides, I need to use the bathroom help me up."

" Mia, we don't have a bathroom...there's a toilet there" Tony pointed to the toilet a couple of feet away. " and a basin there." Tony pointed right next to it.

Mia turned red, completely embarrassed. She should have expected this. She was in a cave captured by terrorists. What was she thinking. She bit her bottom lip in contemplation.

Yinsen spoke up. " We can turn our backs to you but that is all the privacy we can offer, I'm sorry."

" Okay, this is so gross but Tony help me shuffle to the toilet there. Then if you could both turn around and close your eyes and hum while covering your ears...yeah...that would be good I guess."

The men did the best they could and Mia quickly finished up. As the hours passed she did the same for them when needed but it was most definitely an odd situation.

Hours later Yinsen and Tony were sitting for lunch, Mia having fallen asleep while her body healed.

" Tony I am worried about her state of mind. She has been through a very traumatic experience but is only ' cracking jokes '. What she said earlier, about her lack of value... that is just the tip of the iceberg. Despite your lack of social graces she seems closer to you than me. You should try to talk with her, have her uload some of her burden."

" She's been through a lot. I'd rather have her cracking jokes instead of crying all over the place. Don't girls like chocolate or something? Cheers them up right? Pepper likes chocolates. I'm in short supply here, meaning I have none, so jokes are good right now. Just leave it alone for the time being."

The men took a look at Mia, angered at her harsh treatment, but they both knew they had work to do. They needed to get out alive and they were on borrowed time.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

He rubbed his eyes and rolled his neck to get some of the tiredness to go away. He wasn't sure what woke him, but looking at Yinsen who insisted they keep a regular schedule still slumbering, he knew it wasn't time to be awake just yet.

He sat up and looked around, subconsciously listening for the guards. He knew something wasn't right, but couldn't put his finger on it.

The guards didn't seem to be barging in so he started looking around. Panic quickly set in once he realised Mia wasn't on the cot. Eyes wide thinking she was taken while they slept he was about to shake Yinsen awake when his eyes caught a shadow on the wall. He got up, ready to defend himself but was surprised to find Mia in the wash basin, the water dark from her blood and the accumulated dirt on her skin.

She was in so much pain during the day she couldn't even sit up without some help, he had no idea how she managed to get herself to the basin.

He kept his eyes on the top of her head as he walked closer, not only to protect her modesty but to also protect himself. He didn't want to see the full extent of the damage on her body, knowing that those who had done this to her had the power to do what they did because of his weapons. That she was captured and brought here for 'his pleasure'. He felt sick just thinking about it.

Hiding behind his façade he opened his mouth to chastise her about moving around and getting her wounds wet but the words died on his lips when he noticed her tightly clasped hand and shivering form. She seemed so intent on what she was doing she didn't even acknowledge his presence.

Now that he was closer to her he sucked in a breath through his teeth. He could see she was shaking hard and, lacking a sponge, she had grabbed a branch or something from the ground and was using it, frantically rubbing her skin raw while she sobbed quietly. To Tony those silent sobs seemed like they were blasting right at him. She had re-opened some wounds and worn away some skin on her neck and who knows where else. The water was dark and he felt sick at the amount of blood it must have taken to achieve it.

It was cold in the cave, enough for him to see his breath sometimes and from the lack of mist from the basin he guessed the water was also probably much colder than what would be comfortable.

He was frozen on the spot his façade fading from his face only to be replaced with concern for the young woman in front of him. Oh, how he wished Pepper was here to help him out. To him women were around to be used and discarded. He didn't deal with feelings. He was about to approach Yinsen when he heard movement from Mia. She was working the object in her hand more vigorously against her skin only this time under the surface of the water. He winced as he realized he would have to take care of this now.

Whispering so as to not disturb Yinsen he opened his mouth. "Mia, what are you doing in there? It's the middle of the night and it's freezing." He winced realizing his voice sounded angry even though he was only concerned.

There was no reaction from Mia who kept rubbing her skin and murmuring.

"Mia, stop what your doing. Talk to me." He stroke right over and looked down horrified at what he was seeing. "What did you do?"

It was then he realized she was talking. "What was that? I can't hear you. Why don't you come out and we can talk by the fire and warm up."

Tony crouched down and gently touched Mia's elbow. He was surprised when she jerked and started murmuring louder. "I can't get him off of me, I can't get clean…."

"Shhh...it's over now, I'll protect you." He reached over slowly and pried the object from her hand and discarded it to the floor. He then moved his hand into the very cold water and pulled the plug from the drain. The eerie red water swirled away while he was speaking to Mia. "Listen this isn't my thing, talking with a woman I might actually care about, but you can't stay in there. The water may not be clean and you're going to ruin all of Yinsen's hard work. What if you get sick?"

Mia didn't move, she continued to sob while rubbing her now empty hands into her already damaged skin.

"Why can't I stop feeling him on me? I just want it to stop." Mia sobbed. "I can't get him off."

"Shh...it's OK, we can fix this he soothed, "I'm just going to get Yinsen." His words fell on deaf ears as Mia was lost in her thoughts.

He strode over to Yinsen and shook him awake. "You need to get up, quick."

Yinsen was immediately on alert. "Stark, what is wrong?"

"It's Mia, something's wrong, I don't know what to do. Grab whatever medical supplies you have, she's at the wash basin." With that he went back to the basin, a blanket in his hands.

"Mia? I'm going ot get you out and by the fire now, Yinsen's right here and he'll fix you right up." He picked her up and set her down by the fire, wrapped in the blanket he had grabbed earlier. He looked over to Yinsen hoping to find some answers but Yinsen was already in motion, quickly cleaning and bandaging the distraught woman who was still trapped in her nightmare.

He got some tea going and sat beside her, giving her some space between their bodies, Yinsen was putting away his supplies and looking over at the two of them.

"I can't get clean…" Mia started. "I can't stop reliving what they did to me, how it felt, how much it hurt. I can feel his tongue licking my neck, his hot breath in my ear. Oh God! I can't stop feeling it over and over, I can't get him off of me! I know why they put me here but I can't….I won't go back to them either. What am I supposed to do? " She started sobbing hysterically, Tony pulled her to his chest, she scooted towards him almost sitting in his lap while his arms were cocooning her in the blanket. He was also at a loss of what to do.

Mia sobbed quietly into his chest, soaking his shirt with her tears, but that didn't matter to Tony. He wanted to protect her, keep her away from her tormentors and make them pay for what they had done to her. Hot anger boiled deep in his belly at her mistreatment and his eyes were moist but he was Tony Stark! Tony Stark is a player, he breaks hearts and doesn't apologize. This slip of a woman was affecting him the way no other woman before had and it scared him.

Yinsen looked over at the two, staying in the same position not wanting to interrupt the private moment between them. He watched as Tony comforted the woman, pleased that Tony finally seemed to be growing up and taking care of someone other than himself.

The sobs were now quiet and Tony thought she might have fallen asleep but her hand was tracing the contour of the plate in his chest. Yinsen chose this moment to move closer to the fire and join his cell mates.

" Tony, what's under your shirt? I think it's humming."

"It's a small arc reactor, it's regulating my heart and keeping the shrapnel in there from killing me." He said it matter of fact, but it was still new to him and he didn't think he would ever be completely comfortable with it.

" What happened?" Asked Mia, distracted by her curiosity and no longer crying.

" I was showing off my latest weapon, the Jerico Missile to the army guys here. My convoy got ambushed on the way to the airport, bomb, shrapnel and wham! Here I am. I would have died, but Yinsen stuck an electro magnet into my chest and attached it to a car battery. It kept me alive long enough to get set up here and learn what I'm supposed to do. Once I had the supplies I made this new chest piece. If my math is right, and it always is I should be good to go for the rest of my life."

Mia was horrified with what Tony had gone through but knew there was more to his story. Looking at Yinsen she could see that she was right but this wasn't the time to ask for the details. She knew Yinsen and Tony had suffered but hearing it from Tony made it more real.

Yinsen having been curious and having not had the chance to learn much about Mia chose this moment to speak. " How did you come to be here Mia?"

Mia didn't move her head from Tony's chest enjoying the comfort of being wrapped in his arms but spoke while staring at a spot on the ground. " I'm 25 and I just finished college. I never did figure out what I wanted to study so I just took a generic admin program figuring I could work odd admin jobs here and there while I figured things out. Money was tight and there was so much I wanted to study I didn't know where to start. My family is kind of dysfunctional, but what family isn't in some way? Anyways….guidance was something I could have used growing up but the lack of it kept me pretty unfocused I think. I wanted to study everything but was low on resources so I did what I could on my own."

Tony rested his chin on the top of her head as she spoke while Yinsen had some tea. It was nearly time to start working again, but this was also a good opportunity to talk.

"I wanted to help people. I didn't know how but charity work seemed nice. I always volunteered for all sorts of events and even participated in some runs to raise money for some causes. I'm not religious or anything but my father is and he told me about some missionaries from his church going to Afghanistan to help. It was risky so they would only be passing through making a couple of stops before moving on. I talked with them and they were more than happy to let me join them for a while. I thought I'd try it for a year or something. You know...get away, travel the world and helping those in need." She took a sip of some tea that was in front of her before continuing. Tony must have placed it there at some point without her noticing.

"They grabbed us just after we got out of the airport. " Mia paused, having trouble with her emotions. Talking about what happened made it seem like it was happening all over again. She felt Tony give her an encouraging squeeze. She took a deep breath and continued.

"The missionaries were old. They were shot right on the spot; the bodies were left where they fell. They tried to hide me from view but our transport hadn't arrived and once they fell there wasn't anywhere for me to hide. I was in shock and froze on the spot. I thought they were going to shoot me, I couldn't' even breath. I started seeing spots in my vision and suddenly a bunch of men came at me, they were yelling and I didn't understand what they wanted. I think I passed out and when I woke up I was here with Yinsen."

Yinsen nodded, recalling her confusion and fear when she first woke up in the cave.

Mia was drained after telling her story. Her shivers had stopped and she felt lighter somehow. She was glad she had talked.

Tony breathed deeply before shifting, moving Mia with him. He couldn't look her in the face but instead spoke from his current position. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that. No one should experience what you did, especially when all you wanted to do was help. When we get out of here you can put this behind you. Why don't I get you back to the cot and Yinsen can check you over make sure your OK. If we're going to get away I need to work."

"OK, but first...may I see the reactor in your chest?" Tony was about to decline, but she turned herself around and looked up at him. He could see understanding, acceptance and a crushing curiosity in her eyes. He could also see anger in there but it wasn't for her pain, it was for his and what he had been through. Without knowing he was doing it, he moved his shirt out of the way and she traced the edges of the reactor where it met his skin. Her light touch sent a pleasant warmth though him and they both blushed as they realized how close they were to each other.

Yinsen turned away pretending to be occupied with something. Tony picked Mia up and once more and gently placed her on the cot walking away briskly. Yensin came over and reassessed her wounds around the blanket to giver her what little privacy he could and although he was shocked at the damage she caused herself he knew it was not uncommon of rape victims. Some severe cases had even led to suicide back home in his village. He hoped that would not be the case here. Hopefully both her and Tony would keep each other's spirits up long enough for them to make an escape.


End file.
